Do You Direct Your Mind Or Does Your Mind Direct You?

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Hand-drawn art by Rupali Bhuva
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¿Diriges tu mente o te dirige tu mente a ti?
--por Yogi Bhajan
Tienes que tener un sentido extraño de tolerancia, no importa lo que haga nadie, lo que digan, cómo te ataquen, qué quieran de ti: mantén la calma. Esa es la facultad del océano, ¿Cuántos ríos fluyen en él? Permanece calmado, tranquilo y pacífico.
Hay una cosa que tod@s tenemos en nosotr@s y que se llama mente. El trabajo de la mente es pensar. Dirige la energía humana en muchas direcciones. Ese es el deber de la mente. Se nos da para observar toda la presencia del ser humano y cómo un humano puede progresar. Hace dos cosas. Le da al hombre el poder de penetrar y también destruye el poder de penetración del hombre. Es en ambos sentidos.
No puedes decir que tu mente es esto y no aquello. Tu mente es esto y aquello, ambas cosas. Ahora es el momento de la verdad: Si no te comprometes a dirigir tu mente, tu mente te dirigirá a ti. No hay salida. O diriges tu mente, o tu mente te dirige. Si tu mente te dirige, con toda la riqueza y el poder y la felicidad y el sexo y la moda y las armas y los cañones y las bombas, no llegarás a ningún lado.
La mente te dirige a lo que sientes físicamente. La mente nunca te dirigirá hacia lo que sientes espiritualmente. Entonces, tu crecimiento físico puede volverse descomunal, pero tu crecimiento mental se volverá cada vez más estrecho y tu espíritu no tendrá oportunidad de superarlo.
Una vez que no tengas el mando de tu mente, tu mente tendrá el mando de ti. No hay salida. Es una situación de uno u otro. Y cuando la mente tiene dominio sobre ti, el espíritu se queda dormido.
Las disciplinas espirituales son duras, estoy de acuerdo, pero sin esta severidad cinceladora, la mente no escucha. La mente te lleva a los lados y lugares donde no quieres ir, pero aún así vas.
La desgracia garantiza fortuna y a la fortuna le sigue la desgracia, son como hermanas paralelas. No se pueden separar. Para salir de esta fortuna / desgracia, tienes que tener un control total de tu mente, y tu mente debe conocerte, y tú debes conocer tu mente, y para eso está la meditación. El arte de la meditación es controlar la mente propia.
Somos humanos, por lo tanto tenemos que pensar con rectitud, debemos vivir con rectitud y tenemos que ser rectos. De esa manera, seremos afortunados y prósperos porque seremos fácilmente comprendidos; Será fácil confiar en nosotros; Será fácil creer en nosotros.

Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la idea de que la mente tanto ayuda como dificulta el poder de penetración de un humano? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de un momento en que tu disciplina espiritual te ayudó a dirigir tu mente en lugar de que tu mente te dirigiera? ¿Qué te ayuda a controlar tu mente?
Yogi Bhajan fue un maestro espiritual. El extracto anterior es de una charla en Nuevo México en 2001.
Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the notion that the mind both helps and hinders a human's power of penetration? Can you share a personal story of a time your spiritual discipline helped you direct your mind instead of having your mind direct you? What helps you control your mind?

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Add Your Reflection

12 Past Reflections
RU
May 16, 2019
Yes, the Creator has given to each one of us a moment only and the freedom to think a thought that moment and freedom to act on that thought. A moment in hand is the only that each one truly owns, nothing else! All actions come from a thought. A thought is the only secret a person owns until it is made known to others. Everything you see when you walk on sidewalk, ie, the houses, the roads, the electric poles & wiring, the traffic signs, the flower gardens, etc are somebody's thought! You are seeing a thought.. A moment at hand is what a person truly owns because the next breath or moment is not guaranteed. If the next moment does not come, the person does not even own the body or mind! Likewise, next day, next month, or next year may not come since even an hour does not happen at once in a snap of time but it is made of several moments at a time. A person can control the mind because a person can challenge a thought or choose not act on it. True, mind has to be trained since t... View full comment
AM
Amy May 17, 2019
Thank you for this trip into your mind! Fly friend ... !🦋
PP
May 14, 2019
If the mind controls the will and we have nothing else, we are in big trouble! But in “centering down” the mind into the “heart” we bring it under the influence of Divine LOVE. Therein the mind is informed, even transformed and thus the will. }:- ❤️🙏🏼 anonemoose monk
AM
Amy May 17, 2019
❤️
SU
May 14, 2019
Only Human mind is blessed with the wisdom of eternal latent joy,peace,power within. Those who realise this reality of "who am I" control their mind to lead a purposeful life.Meditation is the key. Kabir's Surat-Shabad-Yoga is the way.
GI
Ginny
May 13, 2019
Only the divine Mind governs. Our consciousness reflects this infinite
eternal Love, Life and Truth.
DD
May 12, 2019
I interpret "penetration" to mean to move or enter into wisdom (in this context). The mind can be used to stay away from wisdom, particularly by being primarily left brain including logical, linear, and goal-focused, and it can be used to enter wisdom by utilizing right brain including open, creative, broad. As my spiritual discipline got away from dogmatic beliefs with which I was indoctrinated, I didn't allow my mind to direct me, and I allowed my developing spiritual discipline to direct my mind to be open to new ideas and to what appeared to me to be truth. What helps me control my mind is for me to hang loose, be open to my free and nonrational associations, value my fantasies, trust what I call my unconscious, and pay attention to my bodily responses. There is a saying that thinking makes a fine servant and a terrible master -- the same goes for the mind -- I've believed that for a long time and reminding myself of it helps me control my mind.
AJ
aj May 17, 2019
Amen!!!
RU
Ruby(Triza Laxmi Aurora) May 20, 2019
Penetrate could also mean penetrating the Virgina, or deep into the earth, deep space, or deep anything
JP
May 10, 2019
It is up to me how to use my mind. My mind can create bondage or can create suffering. It can hurt me if I use it wrong way or it can heal me if I use it right way. Right choice making is very crucial The trouble is even though I know what is the wrong way but I still follow it and even though I know what is the right way to follow I may not follow it. In this way I create my own suffering or bliss. Yesterday, I was invited by friend for a dinner. His wife is a wonderful cook. She made delicious dishes of food. It was very tasty. And I kept on eating the food that's not good my health. I came up with my own self-created excuses. And I paid the price for my wrong doing. This is where awareness and self-discipline come into play. I made a mistake and learned a lesson from my oen experience. Learning how to use mind is the key to following the right path.I have been learning how to make wholesome and wise choices by practicing mindfulness in my everyday life. Namaste! Jagdish P Dave ... View full comment
XP
May 10, 2019
This is only of the many occasions when I was directed by my mind and the results were quite surprising. One day by the time I got off work, I was tired, beaten, and nearly depressed. Disregarding I had a meditation meeting to attend in the evening, my mind was telling me to just go home and chill out. It came up with many good reasons that I should not attend the meeting and they all sounded quite reasonable. But, in the end I put myself together and went to the meeting because it was an commitment that I made to myself earlier. I went to the meeting and the session was great. By the time when the meeting was over, I was in a completely different mindset, happy, content, and relaxed.

However, I also have other experiences when I listened to what my mind told me (to be precise, what my body told me) to do instead, and it went well too.

So, this is not as simple as black and white.
AM
May 9, 2019
The Holy Spirit helps me to control my mind ... without doubt!